Hudson Whiskey
Meet Luke
Luke is a Level I Certified Whiskey Specialist with a passion for exploring and unearthing the best whiskeys around. Luke has a preference for Rye whiskeys but has tasted over 250 different whiskeys to date varying from bourbons to scotches. He continues to expand upon his whiskey knowledge by tasting dozens of bottles monthly and reviewing them here on Barrel and Brew as he pursues his Masters of Whiskey certification.
Bourbon and whiskey isn’t all about Kentucky. Recently, I’ve been trying to review as many bourbons as possible from various states and regions. So, I figured I’d take a look at the first distilled whiskey in the state of New York post prohibition – Hudson Whiskey.
Whether you’ve had Hudson Whiskey or not, if you’re interested in learning more about it, keep on reading. We’re going to discuss their history, re-branding, taste, price, and more, so let’s get into it!
Hudson Whiskey History
As I mentioned, Hudson Whiskey was the first legally distilled whiskey in New York since prohibition. It may come as a surprise to you then that Hudson Whiskey was founded in 2003. That makes it a 70 year gap from when prohibition ended and whiskey flowed in New York state. But why did it take so long for New York to distill whiskey?
The short answer is money. New York had many outdated regulations that made opening a distillery in New York a bad business decision. Permits for a distillery license were $65,000 for three years! Ralph Erenzo, founder of Hudson Whiskey, had learned of legislation that dropped the license fee down to $1,500.
He bought up the Tuthilltown Gristmill located in the Hudson Valley of upstate NY, and began distilling whiskey. Erenzo didn’t stop there. He continued to push local legislators to offer more incentives for those looking at opening craft distilleries. Due to his successes, New York now ranks among the top 3 states in the number of craft distilleries.
In 2010, Hudson Whiskey was purchased by William Grant & Sons. Not long after, in 2017, William Grant & Sons took it a step further by purchasing the Tuthilltown Distillery. This allowed for William Grant & Sons to distill their own bourbon – one of which I reviewed just the other day. Fistful of Bourbon Review.
Rebranding of Hudson Whiskey
Following the purchase of the Tuthilltown Distillery, William Grant & Sons rebranded Hudson Whiskey. What was originally Hudson Whiskey Baby Bourbon is now a selection of various whiskeys with different mash bills.
The other part of the rebranding was design. The Baby Bourbon, now discontinued, had a more classic labeling on a squatty, round bottle. The new whiskeys feature the same bottle, but the design is meant to be reminiscent of the New York City subway system. The bottles are lined with the different colors of the various rail tracks.
Hudson Whiskey Selection
There are now five different options when it comes to Hudson Whiskey – Bright Lights, Big Bourbon, Do The Rye Thing, Short Stack, Back Room Deal, and Four Part Harmony. We’ve only had the Bright Lights, Big Bourbon and Do The Rye Thing, so we’ll touch more on those soon. However, we figured we’d at least give you all the key characteristics of these whiskeys.
Bright Lights, Big Bourbon
- Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Aged a minimum of 3 years
- Mashbill is 95% corn and 5% malted barley
- 92 proof or 46% ABV
Do The Rye Thing
- Straight Rye Whiskey
- Aged a minimum of 3 years
- Mashbill is 95% rye and 5% malted barley
- 92 proof or 46% ABV
Short Stack
- Straight Rye Whiskey
- Aged a minimum of 3 years
- Mashbill is 95% rye and 5% malted barley
- 92 proof or 46% ABV
- Finished in Vermont maple syrup barrels
Back Room Deal
- Straight rye whiskey
- Aged a minimum of 3 years
- Mashbill is 95% rye and 5% malted barley
- 92 proof or 46% ABV
- Finished in peated scotch barrels
Four Part Harmony
- Four grain bourbon
- Aged a minimum of 7 years
- Mashbill is 60% corn, 15% rye, 15% wheat, and 10% malted barley
- 92 proof or 46% ABV
Hudson Whiskey Selection Summary
Hudson Whiskey doesn’t offer much variation to their mashbill. With the exception of Four Part Harmony, all of the selections use a 95%/5% mashbill split. They even have three variations of their rye whiskey – the only difference being finished in various casks. It’s clear that William Grant & Sons found the mashbill they like and have stuck with it.
The Four Grain Bourbon is the outlier here. It’s been aged a minimum of 7 years and features 4 grains instead of the 2 used in all the other selections. You can view all of these stats over at Hudson Whiskey’s website.
Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon Tasting Notes
As mentioned, we’ve only had two of these selections, so let’s dive into our tastings. First, Bright Lights, Big Bourbon.
Nose: Oak and leather. Vanilla, brown sugar, grain, and corn.
Palate: Caramel and vanilla are most present. Charred wood adds some depth to it. Fairly basic profile for corn whiskey.
Finish: Medium to long. A little kick at the end but nothing too aggressive.
Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon Taste Summary
Bright Lights, Big Bourbon isn’t the most complex whiskey out there. In fact, I find it to be a standard or basic taste for bourbon. This isn’t a slight at the bourbon. The flavors have a richness and depth to them that isn’t found in cheaper whiskeys. If you like the taste of bourbon, you should like Bright Lights, Big Bourbon.
Hudson Whiskey Do The Rye Thing Tasting Notes
On to the next. Let’s check out how Hudson Whiskey’s rye compares.
Nose: Light wood and straw. Cinnamon and a hint of sweetness in there as well.
Palate: Mint and pepper. Some lemon and dill flavors as well.
Finish: Plenty of rye spice, but also some citrus and vanilla. Medium in length. Not my favorite.
Hudson Whiskey Do The Rye Thing Taste Summary
I am a big fan of rye whiskey, and while this isn’t bad, it’s certainly not my favorite of rye selections. Ultimately, I was a little displeased because I found the Bright Lights, Big Bourbon to be quite pleasant. There are more sweet flavors here than I expected from a 95% rye mashbill. Overall, not bad. I just have many other rye options I prefer.
Hudson Whiskey Price
While price doesn’t change whether or not we like the taste of a whiskey, it does play a large role in whether we buy it and how often we do. As a note, price may vary depending on location and individual store.
Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon and Do The Rye Thing are similarly priced. You should be able to find a 750ml bottle from $38-45.
Hudson Whiskey Value
Now that we’ve covered the taste and price, we can take a look at the value. Around the $40 price range I’m unlikely to buy Do The Rye Thing again. It’s not because it’s bad, I have an affinity for rye whiskey and there are so many options around $40 that are better.
Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is a different story. It has a classical bourbon flavor profile and has a richness to it that’s on par for a $40 whiskey. It’s not something I’ll buy often, but it’s certainly something I’ll keep in mind when I browse the liquor store.
There may be extra value for those that have roots in New York, though. Hudson Whiskey was the first distilled whiskey in New York since prohibition, and Ralph Enzo was a driving factor behind the distillery boom in New York.
Hudson Whiskey Summary
I’d compare Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon to Breckenridge Bourbon but not because of there flavor profile. They have a very different taste, but the richness is a similar quality. I can buy Breckenridge Bourbon at a cheaper price in Colorado, and, likewise, Hudson Whiskey is more expensive for me out here.
If you’re from New York or have roots there, I definitely recommend you pick up a bottle – the bourbon or even the rye, too. If you’re not, Hudson Whiskey is still a good option. However, at the $40 price point there are no shortage of good options out there.
